


A Family Matter

by Odds_Evens



Series: RvB Angst War [5]
Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Emotional Trauma, Gen, Otherwise Gen, RvB Angst War, Serious Injuries, Tuckington if you want
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-17
Updated: 2016-04-17
Packaged: 2018-06-02 18:41:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6578026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Odds_Evens/pseuds/Odds_Evens
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: Junior is hurt during a diplomacy trip and Tucker deals with feelings of hopelessness and inadequacy about being a terrible father. (For the RvB April 2016 Angst War)</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Family Matter

"Do you even know where we're sitting?"

Tucker grumbles something rude at Wash as he looks down at the invitation in his hands.

_You are cordially invited to..._

_... For Peace and Prosperity  
A series of talks_

"Fuck do I know?"

With a dramatic sigh, Wash grabs Tucker by the elbow and pulls him toward a well dressed usher guarding a door. "Hi, can you help us find where we're supposed to be?"

The usher nods and opens up his data pad. "Names?"

"Lavernius Tucker."

"His plus one."

The usher's eyes widen momentarily with wonder before he puts the data pad back down. He hadn't even entered any information. "Right this way! Front row, sirs."

Tucker shoots Wash a smirk as they follow the man into the room. "I'm sort of a big deal in diplomatic circles."

"Pretty sure it's cause your son is some kind of alien Jesus."

"Actually my son is THE alien Jesus. Get it right, Wash."

Wash shuts up and let's him have that one. He also shuts up because the usher just led them to two empty seats in the midst of a crowd of Sanghelli all wearing their meanest glares.

He's not scared. At all. And he totally doesn't squeak when Tucker pushes him forward. "Come on man, I'll introduce you."

"This is Maximus, Junior's history and diplomacy lecturer."

"Good to meet you... Sir?"

Tucker moves on. "And this is Andes, Junior's language instructor."

"Yours as well." The dark green Sanghelli says to Tucker in perfect English. "An honour, war hero Washington."

Washington isn't blushing. Honest. "Thank you."

The rest of the names they pass start to blur together but Wash's nerves are almost completely calmed by the time they get to their seats. There's only one Sanghelli sitting on the other side of their vacant seats, and the look he gives them can only be referred to as "amused".

Tucker on the other hand is livid. "What the fuck? What the hell are you doing here Crunchbite?"

Crunchbite says something that Wash can't understand. Tucker just gets more animated. "That's a fucking lie! He invited ME, and he knows better then to get you and me to go to the same stuff."

Crunchbite chuckles but says nothing else. The lights in the theatre begin to dim and the humans take their seats. Wash glances at Tucker curiously, not voicing his question but hoping Tucker will instead just... Sense his question.

Surprisingly, Crunchbite seems to instead. He leans over Tucker and extends a claw to Washington. In broken English: "Greetings war hero. I am Junior's father."

If looks could kill, Tucker's glare would have turned Crunchbite into a puddle of blood. "Genetic donor, asshole. I'M his father."

Washington hardly hears the exchange. His mind is too busy going into overdrive.

Junior's dad? Like, his other dad? Like somehow mated with Tucker to make Junior? Somehow Washington had just assumed Tucker was some sort of immaculate conception via magic sword.

God how he wished he could go back to thinking that.

\---

Junior takes the stage two speeches later. He strides onto the stage confidently, head held high and armour glowing bright Aqua. He doesn't hold notes like the speaker before him did. And it's only once he's at the stage that he takes a second to look at the front row and give his dad (dads?) a grin.

Tucker finally relaxes as he waves at his son. Junior gives a tiny wave back before beginning his speech.

"My friends. I am Lavernius Tucker Junior, son of a hero and a key bearer. A human."

Wash doesn't miss the smug look Tucker shoots Chrunchbite, but he misses whatever reaction Crunchbite gives in return.

He doesn't miss the loud BANG of a gun going off from somewhere behind them, but he does miss where Junior gets hit.

He doesn't miss Crunchbite running for his son as Tucker draws his sword and goes running after the fleeing assailant.

He misses what happens after as the room falls into darkness.

He spots the glow of Tucker's sword running out of the theatre, and he runs after.

\---

The shooter was a Sanghelli. Part of some kind of fringe group who wants Junior dead for being a half-breed contamination. Wash has to learn this from Maximus. From Andes, Wash learns the Sanghelli guard don't like his presence in the hospital waiting room.

From Wash, the guards learn how he once killed a Sanghelli twice their size by pushing his knife through his eye and into his skull. He'd love to give them a demonstration if they try making him leave again.

\---

It's past midnight by the time Wash leaves the waiting room to check his missed messages. Ten from Carolina, three from Simmons, six from Caboose, and only one from Emily. Apparently she's on her way and will be on planet within a day's time to make sure Junior's surgeons didn't fuck anything up. She's doing her reading on the Sanghelli anatomy now and should be an expert by the time she gets here.

Oh and Carolina's coming with her.

Part of him breathes a sigh of relief at that. Carolina will know what to do about the Sanghelli assholes not letting him see Tucker, and what to do about the diplomatic disaster that no doubt erupted from this.

When she gets here, she'll fix things.

"THAT'S BULLSHIT!"

Wash stops in his tracks at Tucker's voice. He turns the corner, and sure enough... There's Tucker, standing in a hallway, flanked by two guards, and staring up at Crunchbite furiously.

Crunchbite says something unintelligible and ducks back into a hospital room. Tucker tries to follow after him but the guards stop him.

"JUNIOR! JUNIOR, LET ME IN!"

That's all Wash needs to hear. He rushes in, using his fists against the soft spots in the guards' armour to down one before they even notice he's there. The second backs off, arms up in surrender as Wash draws his knife. "Tucker, care to tell me what's going on?"

Tucker just stares at him. "What the fuck, man?"

"Focus Tucker."

"Right." Tucker shakes his head before turning his glare onto the remaining guard. "Those assholes won't let me see my son! They said he doesn't want to see me, which is bullshit!"

Wash nods. He motions with his knife from the guard to the door. "Open it."

Instead, the guard picks up his weapon. Wash strikes, using the handle of his knife like a battering ram into the guard's skull, and a knee to the unprotected section between two plates of armour.

The guard falls like a rock.

"I knew I should have asked for more men."

Wash turns to see Crunchbite standing in the now open doorway, body blocking their entrance.

Wash raises his knife at him. "Move or you're joining them."

"I will not allow you to hurt my son."

Wash can't help but notice his English has somehow improved dramatically. Asshole must have been faking earlier.

"Wash'll leave his knife out here." Tucker announces, pushing his way past Crunchbite without another word.

Crunchbite lets him, eyes still fixed on Wash. "I'm waiting."

Wash drops his knife.

Crunchbite steps aside.

The room is bright and clinical, almost sending Wash into a panicked memory of being locked up in a bright room years ago, memories of a long-dead woman haunting him.

But that was then. And this is now.

Right now, Tucker needs him.

He moves toward Tucker, but Crunchbite stops him with a hand. "This is a... Family matter. Please wait here."

"Wash is my family." Tucker shoots back, nodding for Wash to come closer. He does.

Junior lies still on the cot, too still. Wash is so used to seeing aliens in constant motion, even when they sleep they aren't still, bodies swaying with breath and power. Junior...

"He is strong." Crunchbite announces, moving to Junior's other side. "Last time he took only a matter of weeks to recover."

"Last time?" Wash asks. Tucker stiffens and looks away.

Crunchbite looks at the two of them as he speaks. "Yes, last time. This happens... Often enough." He turns his look onto Tucker alone. "He stopped asking for his hero father after the third time."

Wash feels like he was just hit in the gut. He can't even imagine what Tucker's feeling right now.

"I was trapped in a desert temple."

The venom is clear in Crunchbite's voice "And after that you were simply missing, then in court testifying, then missing again, and then fighting in another war that was not yours. All while your son was lying bleeding asking for you."

Tucker stands up so fast, he nearly bowls Wash over. "Listen here, you piece of shit-"

"That's enough." Wash demands, using his best AGENT voice. "If you guys want to fight, get the hell out of this room. You're not doing this in front of your son."

"Wash?" Tucker voice sounds weak, broken. "I think you should wait outside."

Wash feels his heart plummet. His arms aren't working, neither are his legs.

He overstepped. Holy shit did he overstep.

Tucker sees his face and takes pity. "We'll talk later, okay? I just... just let me stay here til he wakes up.

Crunchbite helps Washington out of the room, closing the door behind him.

\---  
A day later, Emily and Carolina arrive.

Three days later, Junior is moved to a private clinic inside of the embassy. Emily is declared his lead Doctor.

A week later, Carolina returns to Chorus.

Two weeks later, the word "coma" starts being thrown around.

A month later, Wash follows Carolina back to Chorus. Tucker stays behind.


End file.
